Happy New Year

Happy New Year!!

Just a quick note to wish you a happy, safe and joyous New Year. 

The attached is my sisters dog enjoying the fireplace during the holidays.   The tongue is her way of saying Happy New Year!!!

Happy Holidays

Jerry Jelinek - photographed by Norm Jelinek

Happy Holidays!!!!

Hope your holidays are going well and you are enjoying the warmth of family and friends during this special time of year.

Speaking of special, check out the cute little guy above.  That is me around 1968 or so.  My dad was the enthusiastic photographer for the family.   I have inherited literally thousands of slides, negatives and prints from the family photography collection.   The above has always been one of my personal favorites.   Captures the innocence of youth along with my trusty companion (St. Nicholas).   Come to think of it, I still have that same feeling of wonder this time of year.

That sense of wonder leads me to capture some of the holiday spirit around the area of northern Ohio.   One of the best places to see holiday lights is the charming town of Chagrin Falls near me.

Chagrin Falls Holiday LIghts

They have one of the most scenic areas for capturing the spirit of the town in holiday lights.  As I walk around the town, I am always drawn to the large beautiful evergreen tree the town decorates in lights.

It is a lot of fun to play with 'light painting'   This is the photographic technique of having a longer exposure (maybe a second or longer) and then moving the camera while the shutter is open.   With practice you can get some beautiful abstract interpretations of the lights.

Abstract Holiday Lights

You can view more of my holiday lights ideas at my smugmug web site:

Chagrin Falls Holiday Lights - Dec. 16, 2011

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I'll leave you during this holiday time with a special note from one of my favorite authors:

Rachel Carson - excerpt from a letter written to Dorothy Freeman - 12/11/1953

"Christmas brings most of all a sense of rather starry wonder - from the wonder of the first one that still shines through the years, to the miracle of friendship and of the warmth and joy that fill the human hearts when it experiences that rare and beautiful thing, a sense of perfect communication with another. And so tonight I want to say thank you for those precious gifts of friendship and love and understanding, that cannot be bought and could never be replaced."


Love,


Jerry

Ice Abstractions

The early parts of the winter, we can get some impressive ice formations caused by low lying creeks, fields and edges of water freezing rapidly.    The ice formations can vary from organic shapes to dramatic lines and patterns.

It is a good way to get yourself up and out of bed to find these fleeting patterns in the frozen water.

You can view my abstracts from today at my smugmug photo site:

Chiipewa Creek Abstractions - December 11

Glendale Cemetery - Continued

Revisiting the historic Glendale Cemetery over the last few weeks has really sparked my interest in these beautiful sculptures, textures, patterns and history of the cemetery.    Besides the beautiful monuments, the cemetery offers a beautiful chapel, mausoleums and grounds.

My camera has taken me to look deeper into the grounds and allowed me to find ideas that extend past the function of a cemetery and move into the mood and feeling of the deeper emotions of the individuals interned there.




Click on the link below to view more of my thoughts captured at Glendale.

Glendale Cemetery

Cat Holiday Thoughts

My cat Pepper is enjoying her first Christmas Tree.   I put up the tree a week ago and she enjoys pawing at the ornaments and 'hiding' under the tree when we are playing.

She evens sleeps next to the tree during her late morning nap.   I have been trying to catch an intimate thought while she enjoys sharing time with the tree.  

I wonder what she is thinking about in her 'cat thoughts' while she enjoys the holiday lights.